


Linger A Little Longer

by strawberryshortblade



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc
Genre: Alternate Universe - Non-Despair (Dangan Ronpa), Bathing/Washing, Cuddling & Snuggling, Fluff, M/M, Shovel Talk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-26
Updated: 2020-11-28
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:13:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,285
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27718673
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/strawberryshortblade/pseuds/strawberryshortblade
Summary: Kiyotaka Ishimaru is alone at home on a rainy night. Can a surprise visit from Mondo help cure his isolation?
Relationships: Ishimaru Kiyotaka & Oowada Mondo, Ishimaru Kiyotaka/Oowada Mondo
Comments: 3
Kudos: 206





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The following was inspired from a bit of IshiMondo fluff that arose from a role-play server I'm a part of. And I'd like to sincerely thank each and every one of them for helping to make this possible. I hope you enjoy!

It was not everyday that Kiyotaka Ishimaru was back in his family home. His studies and Public Morals Committee duties often kept him in the Hope’s Peak dorms at the end of the night, leaving holiday breaks and the odd weekend as some of his few opportunities to visit his father. Tonight was a rather uncommon occasion, with the latest committee event being cancelled due to...a lack of attendance. 

“And to think, it was a speech series on the evils of truancy…” Taka sighed as he carefully unlocked the front door and slipped off his coat and shoes. There were a number of voicemails on the answering machine, which led him to surmise that his father was once again on some sort of extended assignment at the police station. He listened to the various robotic voices concerning various packages and parcels that were ready for pick-up, an upcoming dentist appointment that would surely need to be rescheduled, taking careful notes on a pad of paper to pass along to him with a phone call to the office in the morning. He quietly padded his way to the kitchen next, scanning over the slightly meager contents of the fridge with a soft frown.

  
_I suppose it would make sense he wouldn’t purchase many perishables if he knew he may not be around to properly cook them...._ _  
_

With that, Taka simply opted to make a modest meal using mostly dry goods from the pantry, taking a seat at the dinner table right as a torrent of rain began to rumble against the roof and echo further throughout the expanse of empty rooms. He ate and cleaned up after himself in silence before retrieving his school bag and making his way upstairs to his bedroom. As he sat down at his desk and clicked open a fresh mechanical pencil, he couldn’t help but feel a small wave of nostalgia wash over him. The journey from empty entryway, to tending to the overloaded answering machine, eating, cleaning, and now studying in his room alone...it was as he had been teleported back to many of his days in middle school.

He was by no means scornful of how busy his father was, even at that age he was mature enough to understand that he had an important duty to the community to fulfill. A fractured family image left behind by his late grandfather to repair. But every now and then there was this small ache in his heart that would arise during these sort of solitary moments. Not just in his limited trips back home, but even sometimes back at Hope’s Peak, during late nights of studying in his dorm, often between the brief mental gaps of switching between subjects or assignments. He furrowed his brow and gripped his pencil a bit tighter, attempting to push the pricks of loneliness out his heart, only to be interrupted by a sound cutting through the patter of rain and against the glass of his window. _  
_

_Tap…tap...tap…_ _  
_

Ishimaru sat up from his desk with a frown. If this was the work of the younger neighborhood hooligans tossing pebbles at his bedroom window, he’d be sure to call their parents and report this sort of behavior immediately. But first, a verbal warning was in order. He quickly flung open the window, jutting his head out amid the raindrops.   
“If this is some sort of prank, I will not toler--!” A sudden sharp pain to his forehead caused him to reel back with a yelp as a pebble bounced off his head and clattered against his bedroom floor.   
There was an audible gasp from outside before a familiar voice arose.   
“Shit--! You ok up there, bro?”   
Ishimaru immediately dashed back to the window, looking down into his backyard.   
“Mondo?” He shouted down. “What on earth are you doing here?” The first thing that struck him was that Mondo was completely soaked to the bone standing out in the rain, his usually proud pompadour now a wet disheveled mess as he shivered in his oversized gang jacket.   
“H-hey, easy on the volume, you wanna broadcast to the whole damn neighborhood I’m here?” Mondo attempted to brush some dripping strands of hair out his eyesight, but only succeeded in smearing his running eyeliner further. “I just...some stuff went down and I need a place to lay low for a little bit. My phone got fuckin’ busted, otherwise I woulda called. You can tell me to fuck off if you wanna, I just wanted to ask if--”   
“Come inside at once! I refuse to allow you to remain outside any longer and catch a cold!” Taka quickly interjected, still not lowering his voice.   
Mondo sighed, pulling his jacket close as he squeaked his way to the front door. Taka swiftly pulled him inside, tossing a towel over his shoulders as he shepherded him inside. Now that he was closer and in better lighting, the young hall monitor was honestly taken aback at the state of his boyfriend.   
“...you look awful. Are those...bruises? Have you been getting into fights again?”   
Mondo broke eye contact and shifted from foot to foot, uneasily.   
“Just another fucking pissing match over turf…the Red Dragons got a new leader and he wanted to try and throw his weight around. Damn coward tried an ambush instead of calling for a formal rumble.”   
Taka frowned softly, looking him over from head to toe.   
“I’ll save my lecture, which you and many others missed today, on how truant activity will only result in academic suspension or worse for later. Right now we need to get you out of those clothes and run a hot bath.” Without much more hesitation, Taka stripped off Mondo’s jacket in one smooth motion, causing the taller man to let out a small squeak.   
“Whoa, h-hold on a fucking sec, babe--” He sputtered, cheeks flushed with a light shade of pink.   
Taka cocked his head to the side, confused.   
“Is something wrong?”   
“N-no! Just...maybe we oughta do this...y’know. In an actual bathroom. ‘Specially if any of your folks are home.”   
“No need to worry, it’s just me here. My father is unlikely to return home tonight due to his work.”   
“Oh...cool.”   
The mention of his boyfriend’s dad, even his absence, still caused some of his muscles to involuntarily tense with anxiety. Due to a mix of different factors, he and Mondo had never been formally introduced and Ishimaru’s mention of ‘unlikely’ still didn’t give him that much confidence.   
Taking notice of the shift in tension, Ishimaru frowned again, this time with more concern.   
“Do you not want to meet my father?”   
“It...it ain’t that. I do...I just wanna have it be all planned out and shit, y’know? Get him a gift, dress nice...try and rehearse what I wanna say so he doesn’t think I’m a no-good thug and kick me out in the first five minutes.”   
“Don’t be silly, I’ve done nothing but tell him all about what a loyal, upstanding person you’ve been, bro!”   
“...you sayin’ he already knows about what my Ultimate title is?”   
Now it was Taka’s turn to glance away, sweating a bit.   
“Not necessarily.”   
Mondo let out a heavy sigh, running a hand across his face.   
“Look...how about we forget about all that for tonight, huh? Besides...” A small smirk crossed his face, slipping his arms loosely around Taka’s waist. “Might be kinda nice to hang out, just the two of us. Feel like joining me in the bath?”   
“Of course!” Taka beamed, turning around to excitedly take Mondo by the hand. “We have quite the variety of fragrant soaps and even some Epsom salts to soothe your bruises!”   
  


And with that, Mondo was quickly whisked away to the upstairs bathroom, with Taka carefully helping him out of the rest of his uniform while the steaming water was drawn up. He had to admit, he didn’t mind being fussed over hand and foot like this, smiling as Taka sat him down on the footstool to lather bubbles into his hair with his fingertips before rinsing it all away. Taka meanwhile found himself blushing at Mondo’s reflection, the way his damp hair framed his face, different to the tousled, messy look he had from being out in the rain. It evoked a feeling he couldn’t quite attach a word to, but it caused his pulse to quicken a little just the same.   
“I must admit, you look rather attractive with your hair down, bro! It’s a testament to your already dashing good looks!”   
Mondo chuckled with a warm grin, ushering him down onto the stool next to return the favor.   
“You like it that much, huh? Once I graduate from the gang, I won’t have to put it up so much anymore.”   
Taka hummed a bit, melting into the touch as Mondo gently massaged his lathered hands through his scalp.   
“Speaking of graduation, have you considered…?”   
“What I’m gonna do? I’ve sorta given it some thought. Guess I oughta have an answer ready before your old man asks me that too, huh?”   
“He means well.” Taka slowly rose to his feet, taking Mondo’s hand as he escorted him to the bathtub. “I know he’d just want to be sure I’d be in good hands. A partner to share burdens equally.”   
Mondo lowered himself first into the steaming waters, wrapping his arms around Taka’s waist once more as he sat down in front.   
“I get that...hell, if I were a dad, I’d probably want the same fucking thing for my kids, too.” He let out a thoughtful hum, gliding his hands up and around to lightly massage his shoulders. “Was honestly thinkin’ about becoming a carpenter. Always did better getting shit done with my hands than my brain.”   
Taka glanced over his shoulder. “A carpenter?”   
“Well, yeah...figured I spent so much time breaking shit, I might as well spend the rest of it building it back up right? Hell, I’d even build you a brand new house.”   
Ishimaru felt a sudden tightness in his chest at that, but it wasn’t like the pang of loneliness he felt before. 

_A house. Not just a house but a home together with Mondo. A home with someone waiting for you every night with open arms and affection and--_

The sudden sniffling and flood of tears was enough to send Mondo into a small panic.   
“Bro? You alright? I say somethin’ wrong?”   
“N-no!” He hiccups, trying desperately to compose himself. “It..it was so touching! So moving! I’ll support that dream of yours with my full body and soul!”   
Mondo couldn’t help himself from pulling Taka against his chest, planting a soft kiss against his cheek.   
“...the hell am I gonna do with you, bro?”   
“The main thing would be to join me in exiting the bath, unless you wish to look like a dried apricot!”   
Mondo rolled his eyes fondly, carefully escorting him out of the water to towel off.   
“I don’t suppose you got some clothes for me to borrow, huh? I doubt my shit is out of the laundry yet.”   
“Certainly not! That won’t be for at least another hour and I know your jacket needs to be specifically air dried, You can simply borrow some of my clothes for the time being.”   
“What, like one of your nine other spare school uniforms?” He snorted.   
“I don’t see why not. I can’t guarantee they would fit you properly due to our difference in body measurements, but if you insist--”   
“Taka. I’m joking.”   
“Oh…I see. Perhaps some of my father’s work clothes would fit you better, then--”   
“School uniform is fine! Or like...maybe some spare pajamas? Those oughta be looser, right?”   
Taka froze a bit.   
“Pajamas? Are you...intending on staying the night, then?   
“I mean...is that ok? I can bolt outta here once my shit is out of the dryer--”   
“N-no! Please, stay!” Ishimaru blurted, realizing the desperate tone of his words the moment they left his mouth, internally scolding himself a bit. “It’s just...I’ve never had an overnight guest before.”   
“No sleepovers or nothing? Ever?”   
“I...never had the friends to warrant such an event.”   
Mondo gently placed a hand on his shoulder.   
“Hey...don’t sweat it, alright? You don’t gotta worry about rolling out the fucking red carpet for me. I’m the one who dropped in unannounced, remember? You ok with me sleeping next to ya?”   
Ishimaru nodded quietly.   
He grinned. “Then that’s all there is to it, and that’s all I really want. Just you next to me.”   
“B-bro…” Taka’s voice began to quiver again.   
“Jesus, not again…” Mondo shook his head with a fond smile. “Taka, babe. I love ya to fucking death, but please...I’m startin’ to freeze my ass off here with just a towel.”   
“Oh. Of course! My apologies!” Ishimaru blushed a bit bashfully, quickly taking him by the hand across the hallway. 

Mondo would be lying if he didn’t admit he was at least a little giddy at the prospect of entering his boyfriend’s room for the first time, even if some of that sense of wonder was dampened a bit at just how...baren and industrial it was. He made a mental note to himself to look into giving him some posters or framed pictures of them at the very least. Taka, meanwhile, had already dressed and busied himself digging through his dresser drawers. He retrieved a matching pair of flannel pajamas and handed them off to his boyfriend, who promptly slipped on the pants before fumbling a bit with the shirt buttons. Much like when he was struck by Mondo’s reflection a moment ago, the stern moral compass couldn’t help but feel his heart skip a beat at how his own simple clothes looked against his boyfriend’s equally muscular frame. It still bewildered him that something so simple could cause his cheeks to flush so suddenly, a shift that didn’t escape Mondo’s attention.

“You alright there, bro? Does this not look right or somethin’?” He smirked.   
“N-no!” He shouted, standing completely upright with his hands firmly against his sides. “My only concern is that it fits properly! It would not be healthy if your circulation was limited as you slept!”   
“Gotta admit it’s kinda tight up top...but I can fix that.” Mondo smirk persisted as he oh-so-casually unfastened the top two buttons of his shirt, trying his damndest to keep up his facade as Taka squirmed pittifully amid his ‘stern Moral Compass’ posture.   
“There we go. Much better.”   
“Y-yes! I agree! I mean--so long as you’re comfortable! That’s what matters most! Now then, I suppose it’s time for bed!”   
“Bro, it’s only nine o’--”   
Before Mondo really had a chance to react, Taka had already clicked off the lights and buried himself under the blankets. With a small smile and a roll of his eyes, Mondo crawled in beside him, taking on his role of Big Spoon. 

“Hey…” He slowly wrapped his arms around him, pulling him close to his chest. “...you don’t have to get all flustered and shit. I was just teasin’ ya.”   
Ishimaru stiffened briefly before melting into his touch.   
“It’s quite alright. I must admit, my lack of experience with these types of emotions makes it rather difficult to remain composed, my sincerest apologies!”   
Mondo let out a snort. “You sure as shit don’t have to say sorry. It’s damn adorable the way you get all hot under the collar like that. Besides...” He planted a soft kiss against the crook of his neck, causing Taka to let out a small squeak of ticklish laughter. “...it’s what I love about you. Ain’t nothing gonna change that.”   
Ishimaru slowly turned around to face him, eyes glistening a bit with a new wave of joyful tears. “And my love for you will never change. Not for the end of time.”   
Mondo pressed a gentle kiss against his beloved’s lips before hugging him close to his chest, letting out a content sigh.   
“...goodnight, bro.”   
“Goodnight.” 

With that, Ishimaru slowly closed his eyes. The rumble of rain against the roof was no longer a single tune, but a joined duet alongside the sound of Mondo’s steady heartbeat beside him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ishimaru's father arrives home and immediately notices something is amiss. Who on earth is this strange young man snuggled up to his son?!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Coming in with a much shorter conclusion to this fluff fest. Not sure it's as strong as my first chapter, but I hope you get some enjoyment out of it regardless!

At around 5:45am, Detective Takaaki Ishimaru finally returned home. The sting operation had gone exceptionally well, ending what he had anticipated to be a two day project far ahead of schedule. As he quietly unlocked the front door he was delightfully surprised to see a familiar pair of shoes in the doorway...only for that to be damped by the sight of a pair of very unfamiliar shoes right next to them. As he slowly scanned the first floor of the house, he stopped dead in his tracks in the laundry room, where an honest to God  _ tokkofuku  _ gang jacket hanging out to dry. He scowled at what was written on the back in embroidery 

“Crazy Diamonds…” 

He was beginning to fear for the worst. As much as his instincts as a father told him that his only son was an honest, straight-laced young man...his intuition as a police detective was not pleased with the mounting evidence that he may be caught up in the wrong crowd. 

After making a quiet sweep of the remaining rooms and discovering little else, Takaaki carefully strode over to his son’s room, glancing inside the ajar door. Inside was Kiyotaka, sleeping soundly…and enveloped in the arms of a young man he had certainly  _ not _ seen before. While the sight of that alone was enough to give him pause, the moment he noticed a pair of familiar flannel pajamas in a crumpled heap on the floor was the catalyst for him to spring into action.    
“Kiyotaka--” He called out sternly, swinging open the door and flicking on the lights. “An explanation. Now.”    
“F-father!” Taka bolted upright, while his bed guest tumbled off the side with a panicked string of curses.    
“It’s not what it seems, Mondo was simply--!” Taka let out a small gasp and was struck speechless as he quickly realized that his boyfriend was currently standing in the middle of his room, in front of his father, in only his boxers.    
“B-bro, why on earth are you undressed?!”    
Mondo let out a small squeak, quickly yanking the blanket over to cover his modesty.    
“Shit, I must’ve gotten too damn warm under the covers, I barely remember takin’ ‘em off!”   
“Language, young man.” Takaai quipped, crossing his arms. “This is what is going to happen. You’re going to dress yourself. I’m going to go downstairs and prepare breakfast. In approximately twenty minutes the both of you will join me, wherein we  _ will _ have a  _ thorough  _ discussion about this.”    
And with that, the older man turned on his heel and strode down the hallway. Mondo let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding before slinking down to his knees, face buried in his hands.    
“I’m way past fucking dead, bro…”    
“Nonsense!” Taka replied as he knelt down and attempted to coax Mondo’s hands away from his face. “We’ll simply need to be upfront and honest! This is all a simple misunderstanding! Nothing scandalous occurred in the slightest! Once we explain that, he’ll surely understand.”    
“Alright…” Mondo slowly lowered his hands, intertwining them with his. “We can sure as hell try…”    
“You may wish to start by putting your pants on again.”   
  
At exactly 6:00am, Kiyotaka and Mondo (now back in his freshly laundered uniform) took their place at the dinner table, with the latter shifting uneasily. Takaai silently placed several heaping plates and bowls of fragrant food in front of them before taking his seat on the opposite side, looking Mondo up and down briefly before digging in. Kiyotaka quietly began to work away at his own portion, however Mondo did little more than pick up his own chopsticks.    
The watchful officer pursed his lips in thought before nudging a bowl of natto his way.    
“You’re a growing young man, Oowada.” His tone was far more level and probing than cordial. “Go on, eat.”    
Mondo swallowed. He felt like some interrogation suspect on one of those police dramas from the 1980’s you’d see late night reruns on tv. Hell, if this was like any of the American ones he’d seen, Mondo worried this guy would probably grab his water cup and whisk it away to some forensic lab to swab for a DNA sample. He stared back down at the bowl of natto, nose curling a little. He  _ despised  _ the stuff. Hated the pungent smell, the gooey, slimy texture…   
Which is why he forcefully shoveled out the whole bowl onto his rice and started to wolf it down, making as much eye contact with the stern detective as possible, seeming to catch him off guard for the briefest of moments.   
Taka, meanwhile, looked absolutely stunned by what was going down next to him, opening and closing his mouth before formulating how to respond.    
“Mondo, I’ve never seen you eat so much as a single bean of that before. While I’m pleased you’ve chosen to eat something so healthy, I can’t help but worry that something has gotten into you!”    
“It’s simple…” Taakai carefully set down his chopsticks. “He saw that as a challenge, something to prove to me. I must admit, I didn’t expect you to pour in the whole bowl. Then again, I suppose being a biker gang leader, let alone being an Ultimate one, doesn’t allow much room to back down from any sort of fight. Isn’t that right?”    
Mondo shuddered as the last of the fermented soybean blob slid down his throat before wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, a determined glimmer in his eye.    
“Yes, sir.”    
Taka glanced between them. “How did you know he was…?”    
“I’ve seen enough of those gaudy gang jackets over the years to recognise how the different colors and symbols reflect how the hierarchy is structured.” Taakai took a small calm sip of his water. “That, and I’ve seen this young man’s mugshot a fair few times down at the station.”   
Mondo stiffened in his chair, lightly gripping onto his knees. Even if had the time to prepare for this whole first meeting, he knew that his criminal record would be inevitably brought up.    
“Now then, I suppose now would be as good a time as ever to discuss a few pertinent things.” The older man interlocked his fingers together as he regained very firm, direct eye contact with Mondo.    
“What are your intentions with my son?”    
As much as he wanted to shift and squirm in his seat, Mondo did his best to hold his ground.    
“To protect and care for him as my boyfriend...sir.” Taka covertly offered his hand under the table, which Mondo gladly took with a small squeeze.    
“And you’re serious about your commitment?”    
Mondo nodded with firm conviction.    
“I made a promise to him as a man. And I promise like that can’t be broken or undone once it’s set. I’d rather get fucking clobbered and gutted by every other gang in town before I let something happen to him.”    
“M-Mondo…!” Taka sniffled, gripping Mondo’s hand so tightly he was worried it might go numb. The elder Ishimaru meanwhile allowed a small smile to cross his face, the first one Mondo was sure he’d ever seen thus far.    
“Very well…You have my blessing. However…” He rose from his seat before leaning over and pressing his open palms against the table. “If it comes to pass that you  _ break  _ such a promise, or do anything whatsoever that would put my son in danger, I  _ won’t  _ hesitate to employ the  _ full  _ arm of the law in order to exact justice. Is that understood?”    
While the last two rounds of glares were probing and intimidating, Mondo could only describe this current look as threatening no less than capital punishment. He quickly nodded. Taakai smiled with satisfaction, motioning his son to assist in cleaning up the remaining dishes. Mondo quickly polished off the rest of his bowl before joining them. 

“And, uh..sir?”   
“You have permission to call me by my last name, Oowada.”    
“Alright...Ishimaru-san.” Mondo pulled at his collar a little. “You ain’t gonna ask about the whole…?”    
“Do I  _ need  _ to be aware of the private affairs between you and my son?”    
“N-no! Hell--I mean, heck no!” Mondo sputtered, bright red.  _ It’s not like anything happened anyway…  _ _   
_ “Good. Then I shall leave the rest of the cleaning to the two of you. I have other business to attend to.”    
With that, he strode out of the room with the same purposeful pose befitting the head of Ishimaru family. Mondo let out another sigh as soon as he was sure he was gone.    
Taka grinned as he passed Mondo a fresh dish towel to help dry.    
“See? That went far better than expected! Your conviction was incredibly moving!”   
“Pretty sure I was this close to your old man actually giving me a damn conviction, Jesus…”   
“Nonsense! If he actually wanted to arrest you, he would have done so already!”   
“Fuckin’ fantastic…” He sighed.    
“However…” Taka gave him a gentle nudge. “He does seem to approve of you more now. You’ve laid down to the foundation of his trust, which will only grow and strengthen over time.”   
Mondo smiled warmly, planting a soft kiss on his forehead. It didn’t matter if he had to go hand to hand with the most blood thirtsy of rival gangs or choke down a thousand bowls of the most slimy natto...this is where he belonged.    
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Taakai Ishimaru to me is the embodiment of that Mr. Turner quote: "I'm respecting your privacy by knocking, *but* asserting my authority as your father by coming in anyway!".


End file.
